St. Therese of Lisieux is known as the “little flower.” My favorite line from her autobiography is, “He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones, and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at His feet.” On walks with my wife, during the spring and summer, my eyes are focused on the area just off the pathway. I am looking for the little flowers that we rarely notice. It is amazing the variety of little flowers that we have. Often, I will stop, tell Ellen to keep on walking, pull out my camera, kneel as close as I can to the tiny flower, and take pictures of these little beauties. Cars have stopped to ask Ellen if I am ok. To those passing by I must look like a body on the side of the road in need of assistance. She smiles and tells them he is ok and just trying to get a closeup picture of flowers.
Why am I so interested in tiny flowers? First, because they are beautiful. Such beauty in a small package is a testimony to the creativity of our God. Second, someone needs to notice them and show them to the world. Otherwise, they may never be seen. Third, as St. Therese said, I can picture God looking down at them and smiling at their beauty. They are doing exactly what God had intended for them. Just by being a tiny violet, God is being praised.
If you read the quote from St. Therese carefully, she implied many of us are like the little flowers. We are not the big lilies and roses that everyone notices. We are not in the public eye garnering all the attention. In fact, most people just pass us by. But if we are doing what God has planned for us, when He looks down at us, we give Him joy. There is nothing to be ashamed of being a little flower. God loves all of them and all of us. In the picture above, did you notice that it looks like the tiny violet is raising its hands in praise of its Creator? Praise the Lord for His wonderful creation!
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